International Journal of Business and Social Science

Vol. 2 No. 5; [Special Issue -March 2011]

The Impact of Cultural Factors on the Consumer Buying Behaviors Examined through An Impirical Study
Dr. DURMAZ Yakup Vice-Dean of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Adyaman University Email: ydurmaz@adiyaman.edu.tr , yakupdu@hotmail.com Dr. CELIK Mcahit Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Adyaman University Enail: mcelik@adiyaman.edu.tr ORUC Reyhan Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Adyaman University Email: roruc@adiyaman.edu.tr Abstract
This study investigates how cultural factors affect consumer behaviors in Turkey with the participation of 1286 people in the provinces through interviews. The obtained data are interpreted quantitatively. Keywords: Consumers, Culture, Sub Culture, Social Class Anahtar Kelimeler: Tketici, Kltr, Alt kltr, Sosyal Snf

1. Introduction
The process of the human consumption which has been presented from the beginning, was initially an activity that must be fulfilled for the rest of life whereas today it has been the goal of life. Today, the consumption is no more a process due to the need of consumers but, in accordance with the wishes of consumers has become an evolving process. The concept of "customer focus", "customer loyalty" in modern marketing requires the audience and the audience recognition of the section.Therefore in terms of marketing, consumer behavior in order to define their influence has become necessary to examine the factors that remain. In study, concepts such as culture, sub-cultures and social classes, how to influence consumers' buying behavior has been investigated.

2.Consumer and the Importance of Cosumer Behavior in Marketing

Consumer is a person who desires, needs and requires marketing components in their capacity as buyer1.Typically marketers are defined to have the ability to control the behaviours of customers, but actually they have neither power nor information fort hat.. Marketer may influence their buying behavior but not control. Because several individale and not individuale affect consumer behavours. Motives, perceptions, attitudes, experiences, self concept, values can be considered as individuale factors. And not individual factors can be expressed as, culture, profession, family, reference groups.

3.Cultural Factors that Effect Consumer Behavior

3.1. Culture Culture is the complex of beliefs of human societies, their roles, their behavior, their values, traditions, customs and traditions. Culture is an extremely important concept to understand consumer behavior and that needs to be examined. Culture is the sum of a shared purpose among members of society, customs, norms and traditions2. The basic reason of persons desire or determination is culture3. 3.1.1. Culture Features Man should know the characterictics of culture to identify how culture affects consumer behavior. Although in the literature many aspects of culture mentioned, in this study the consumption of culture-related features will be discussed. The consumption of culture-related features can be listed as follows4.
1

Ahmet Hamdi SLAMOLU, Pazarlama Ynetimi, Beta Basm Yaym A., stanbul, 2006, s. 125. Michael SALOMON ve dierleri, Consumer Behavior, Prentice Hall, 2006, s. 498. 3 Philip KOTLER, Pazarlama Ynetimi, eviren: Nejat Muallimolu, Beta Basm, stanbul, 2000, s. 161. 4 Yavuz ODABAI ve Glfidan BARI, Tketici Davran, MadiaCat Akademi, stanbul, 2003, s. 314-315.
2

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Culture is a collection of learned behavior Culture is the traditional Culture is created Culture can be changed Culture includes differences as similarities Culture is organization and convergence Culture is shared by the members of the community Culture determines needs Cultural differences among consumers in the country, compared with consumers outside the country is usually less. Cultural differences about consumer behaviour between countries are quitely big 5. 3.1.2. Effect of culture to consumer behavior International marketers believe that consumers would increasingly resemble each other and that they will eat the same food, wear same clothes, l watch the same television programs to an increasing proportion. But the reality is very different6. Therefore, to trade in international markets, man must overcome the large cultural and economic boundaries. Not only improve the worldwide competition in the market also different traditional beliefs, preferences, habits, customs are needede to be understood7. Culturei nvolves society's thoughts, words, their traditions, language, materials, attitudes and feelings8. One of the elements that makes culture is beliefs. Beliefs of the people in a community can show similarities. For example, four, and four times in Japan are seen as unluck, because of that most products are sold in groups of five leads.9Another element of culture, tradition, is related with non-verbal behaviour of individuals. In France the men use more cosmetic produchts than the women, which shows the self-concsious tradition of the french men.10. As a result, learning of cultural properties in the analysis of consumer behavior has been an important variabl in marketing, especially in market segmentation, target market and product positioning. 1.2 Subculture The other important concept should be examined in terms of marketing management issubculture. Courses on culture and behavior of individuals with similar values formed smaller groups are called sub-culture11. 3.2.1. Effect of sub-culture of the Consumer Behavior Geographical regions and religions are essential in the formation of sub-culture. The preference of individuals who live very close to each other can be differernt. Individuals belonging to different have different subculture values, attitudes and social structures of the members of other sub-culture These differences, subcultural segmentation of the market activity has made an important variable12. t is important to know the characteristics of the sub-culture in creating the marketing mix price, brand name identification, promotional activities and product positioning13.

3.3.

Social Class

Social groups, although they dont shown in a formal process of similar lifestyle shows are groups formed by individuals14.There are several features of social class. First, the behavior of members of the social class structure, education levels, attitudes, values and communication styles are similar, and these characteristics are different from other social class members15.
5 6

Kazm K RT , Pazarlama lkeleri Global Ynetimsel Yaklam, Evin Ofset, Malatya, 2001, s. 160. Marieke DE MOO J, Converge and Divergence in Consumer Behavior: Implicants for Global Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, 2003, s. 184. 7 Ken WA NWR GHT, Principles of Marketing, Blackwell Business, 1994, s. 152. 8 Michael R. CZ NKOTA, Global Business, Harcourt, Inc., 3. Edition, Orlando, s. 32. 9 Maryann KELLER, Collosion: GM, Toyota, Volkswagen and The Race to Own the 21st century, 1993. 10 Eric. N. BERKOW TZ ve dierleri, Marketing, Irwin Series, 4. Edition, 1993, s. 378. 11 Tomasz LENARTOW CZ ve Kendal ROTH, Does Subculture Within a Coutry Matter? A Cross-Cultural Study of Motivational Domains and Business Performance in Brazil, Journal of International Business Studies, 2001, Vol. 32, s. 305-325. 12 Andrew LINDRIDGE, Sally D BB, Is Culture a Justifiable Variable for Market Segmentation? A Cross-Cultural Example, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 2003, Vol:2, s. 282. 13 Tao SUN, Guohua WU, Consumption Patterns of Chinese Urban and Rural Consumers, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2004, Vol:21, s. 251. 14 Wayne D. HOYER, Deborah J. MACLNN S, Consumer Behavior, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1997, s. 325. 15 Terrel G. WILLIAMS, Social Class Influences on Purchase Evaluation Criteria, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2002, Vol:19, s. 250.

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Second, individuals status is determined according to their societies.16. Third, social classes are determined not by according only one variable, also by such variables like education, income, living area, activities and values17. 1.2.1 Effect of social class in Consumer Behavior Social classes are groups who share similar values, interests and behaviors,that they are relatively homogeneous and continuous18.Social classes pronounce preferences in clothing, fig, home furnishing, entertainment and gaming activities, such as automobiles and certain product and brand. Some marketers are focusing their efforts on only one social class. Social classes are also different in their choice of media. Upperclass consumers prefer books and magazines while sub-class consumers television. As TV prorammes the upper class consumers prefer news and dramas, but low-class cconsumers films and sport pramms. There are also language differences between social classes. Advertisers should be prepared with the language which is spoken in the social class19. Therefore, marketers should appeal communication channels and communication styles by determining by social class.

4.Application
4.1. Purpose and Scope of research The purpose of this study is by shedding light to the managers of founded and will be set up business and especially to the marketing department, which provides to development of country and which leads that the consumers are better known by them and better quality goods, services and ideas will be presented. In the 1950s, "contemporary (modern) marketing concept" expresses the consumer-oriented businesses. What, when, where and at what price and why wants consumers, these questions were asked firstly about forty years ago. In other words, get to know people has become more important. 4.2. Methods and Sample In this study as data collection method questionnaire was preffered to obtain objective data and to interpret the first order, that person is the source or first hand. Questionnaire has been prepared according to the funneltechnique, that means from general to special. . Assumption of this technique, wenn the special questions are asked at first place to the surveys, they will be probably avoided. Research data, by sampling the group of Gaziantep, Samsun, Sinop, Konya, Manisa, and Adiyaman provinces, consist of multiple choice questions for the questionnaire. 4.3. Limiting of investigation In the survey, although mainly seven (7) regions in our country and each region sampling several cities by selecting the survey to be made target designation, the financial problems and the main mass of the width of the study limitations constituted.

4.4. Results Analysis and Interpretation The data obtained were analyzed through computer program package "frequency" and the results were inerpreted according to this method. 1) Do you generally like shopping?
Responder Valid Percentage Cumulative Percentage Too much much less not never summation Figure 1: Distribution of consumer shopping satisfaction Breakdown 316 537 274 111 48 1286 24,6 41,8 21,3 8,6 3,7 100,0 24,6 66,3 87,6 96,3 100,0

Table 1: Distribution of consumer shopping satisfaction Breakdown

16 Paul C. HENRY, Social Class, Market Situation and Consumer Metaphors of Empowerment, Journal of Consumer Research, 2005, Vol:31, s. 766. 17 Douglas ALLEN, Toward a Theory of Consumer Choice as Sociohistorically Shaped Practical Experience: The-Fits-Like-a-Glove Framework, Journal of Consumer Research, 2002, Vol:28, s. 515. 18 mer Baybars TEK, a.g.e, s. 200. 19 Philip KOTLER, a.g.e, s. 162.

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With this question is intendend to detect the like degree of consumer shopping . As shown in Table 1 and figure, 1286 people responded to this question, 537 persons (41.8%) had enjoyed shopping too much, 316 persons (24.6%) much, 274 persons (21.3%) is less like While, 111 persons (8.6%) did not like, and 48 persons (3.7%) stated they did not like at all.According to these data, it could be said that the vast majority of those who surveyed enjoy shopping. 2. Who generally does your shopping?
Responders Mother Father Children Parents together All family together other summation Unanswered Overall 168 331 33 304 283 162 1281 5 1286 Valid Cumulative percentage percentage 13,1 25,8 2,6 23,7 22,1 12,6 100,0 13,1 39,0 41,5 65,3 87,4 100,0

We aimed to investigate with this question in general who does shopping. The number of surveys who answered as the father of the number is 331 (% 25.8) individuals, all families in those 283 (22.1), parents with the score of 304 (23.7), the mother 168 ( 13.1) in those 33 children (2.6), and who said others consist of 162 (12.6) people.According to these results, it seems to take the first place that the fathers do the shoppingexchange of Fathers in Adiyaman so like in east region. 3. Approval of my environment or friend is the most important thing for me on the goods and sevices that I will take.
Responders I certainly agree 226 I agree I dont agree 393 440 Valid percentage 17,7 30,8 34,5 14,8 2,0 100,0 Cumulative percentage 17,7 48,6 83,1 98,0 100,0

I certinly dont 189 agree No idea Summation Unanswered Overall Figure 3: According to the importance of the environment Consumer Rating Distribution 26 1274 12 1286

Table 3: According to the importance of the environment Consumer Rating Distribution

The purpose of these question is to learn how important the envirament and friends in buying goods and services of the survey participants. As shown in table and figure 3, for 440 people (% 34,5) enviroment and their friends is the most important criteria in buying goods and services, 393 people (% 30.8)seem to enjoy that, 226 persons (17.7%) seem not to enjoy that and that 189 people (% 14.8) never enjoy that. According to these results, it can be said that the majority didnt believe that the most important factor in buying goods and services are enviroment and friends. It must be accepted that the consumption process is becoming increasingly appealing to individual requests, and that increasingly smaller market segments are becoming as an indicator. 112

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Suitability to my culture, belief, tradition and custom is the most important factor on the goods and sevices that I will take. 4. Suitability to my culture, belief, tradition and custom is the most important factor on the goods and sevices that I will take.
Responders I certainly 569 agree I agree I dont agree 539 101 Valid percentage 44,6 42,2 7,9 3,2 2,0 100,0 Cumulative percentage 44,6 86,8 94,7 98,0 100,0

Icertinly dont 41 agree No idea Summation Unanswered Overall Figure 4: According to tradition, and cultural relevance of the Important Consumer Distribution 25 1276 10 1286

Table 4: According to tradition, and cultural relevance of the Important Consumer Distribution

The purpose of this question is to learn if culture,beliefs and traditions are the most important criteria of the survey participants in buying goods and services.As in table and figure 4 shown, for569 people (% 44.6)faith, culture and tradition are certainly the most important criteria in buying goods and services. That for 539 people (% 42.2) is the most important criteria when you say, for 101 people (7.9%) not , 41 persons (3.2%) had mentioned certinly not. According to these results taht can be said that for the majority of survey respondents (approximately 86%), belief, culture and tradition are the most important factor.

5. Conclusion
In the space of competitive and globalized world the importance of consumer who is recognized as the focal point of modern marketing, is increasing day to day. . In this studya questionnaire has been prepared and the results were interpreted according to the"Funnel" technique, from general to special. Participating in the survey of 1286 people (about 86'%) generally reported that they enjoyed shopping. Businesses can take them to their side by increasing the degree of satisfaction of consumers. It can be possible by knowing them, their wants and their desires good. Those who answered the poll of 434 say that they do shopping from supermarkts(33), which takes the first place.. Some of the reasons why a lot choose supermarkts are: 1) Prices are much cheapr 2) They are cool in summer, warm in winter. 3) There is credit- opportunity (compared to Grocery) 4) They include car parking spaces and play areas for children t 5) There is the precense of many types. 6) They give attention to expiration dates and freshness of products. This shows that today's consumer prefers the places which satisfy them with every aspects. As in the east, in the cities we obtained in the study, the fathers seem to be more effective by taking the fisrst place in shopping (25.8%) We see that tis situation changes westward. n west cities generally with the family purchased, which is located here in second place. But it is possible that this changes from day to day. Respondents said that they compare more expensive (like must) goods(82% of them) (like must) goods when buying. It demonstrates the development of conscious in terms of consumption, which makes man happy. Wee observed that they can not buy the products which dont appear in their homes due to the lack of income, because Products that are in their homes due to lack of income because the large majority (82%)gets under 1000 TL as monthly income. Those who participated in the survey of cultural factors that affect the purchase in order to learn the answers to the questions asked to a larger percentage was determined as follows. By buying goods and services, culture, beliefs and traditions take an important position (% 86.8 'i),while the environment, friends and social groups stated 48.6% .In this case the impact of cultural factors means a lot. 113

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Most of the responders were(51.3% CPC) were graduated from High school, young people(18-25 years), married people (58.6% CPC) and the gentlemen (69%). If businesses attach importance to the customers and consumers, fullfile their desires, it can be said that it decreases that they go to their competitiors and neighboring cities.

6.References
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